Nampa Public Library reports rising use and warns of reduced federal grant support

Jared Tolman, Public Library Director, told the City of Nampa Council on April 16 that library use and programming have increased but the library expects a drop in federal grant funding after a state department that distributed library and museum grants closed.

The report matters because the library is a common-access resource during tight economic times: Tolman said visitation and use spike during recessions and that the library’s services provide measurable savings and skills-building for residents.

Tolman said the library served roughly 250,000 visits last year (up about 11%), circulated about 850,000 items (up 10%), and handled more than 50,000 reference questions. He highlighted nearly 1,000 programs with nearly 50,000 program attendees (an 83% increase in some program attendance categories) and said the bookmobile made more than 300 stops, producing more than 7,000 checkouts and engaging about 1,200 patrons. Tolman described an early-literacy “first book” series, where children pick books to take home to begin building a home library.

Tolman also gave operational details: the library has 44 staff overall, two large staff groups (public services and circulation), and typically 10–12 employees working in a shift depending on time of day. Volunteer hours decreased to about 4,000 this year. The library moved from the Dewey Decimal System to a category-based collection to improve findability; that change temporarily reduced collection size but Tolman said the collection is being rebuilt.

On funding, Tolman said the library is funded primarily by the city budget and by grants and philanthropy. The library obtained roughly $400,000 in external grant and foundation dollars in recent years to support programs such as the bookmobile. He warned that a state department that previously provided grant funding for libraries and museums was closed, and that change will reduce the federal/state grant opportunities for Idaho libraries moving forward. Tolman said the FY26 request does not include additional operating positions and that the library is not seeking a budget increase from the council this cycle; internal allocations will be made by the library’s five-member Board of Trustees after the council’s budget process.

Council members asked for financial detail; Tolman said he and library staff have met with Finance Director Doug Racine and that Douglas Racine has the budget detail. Tolman and council members agreed Finance Director Doug Racine and Facilities contact Brian Foster are the city staff to follow up with for line-item and facilities-maintenance details. When asked how staff respond to patrons experiencing homelessness, Tolman said the library treats the facility as available to everyone but enforces rules and asks patrons who break rules to leave; advocates and staff will engage and refer people to services when appropriate.

Tolman highlighted technology and non‑book services (public computers, free Wi‑Fi, printing, a makerspace with Cricut and stop-motion equipment, a sound room, a “library of things” lending specialty tools and baking equipment) and noted workforce and small-business programming aimed at helping residents gain employment or skills. He repeated that outreach (bookmobile, school visits, retirement homes and small-business stops) and early-literacy programs are priorities.

Tolman closed by thanking the Friends of the Library and the library foundation for fundraising support and by noting the library will continue to pursue state and federal grants and private donations to sustain outreach and program services.

Members of the council and library staff said they would follow up: finance staff will provide the packet-level revenue/expenditure detail to council members who requested it, and facilities staff will provide a deferred‑maintenance list if requested.